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Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ, sarve santu nirāmayāḥ, sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu, mā kaścid duḥkha bhāgbhavet, oṁ śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ, śāntir bhavatu. Deep Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai, Dev Purīṣa Mahādeva Kī Jai, Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān Kī Jai, Satya Sanātana Dharma Kī Jai. Good evening, dear Bhaktas of Śrī Mahāprabhujī, good evening and good morning to those who have morning now. This blessing is coming to you from Vienna, Austria, Gurujī’s Āśram. The subject is Khecharī Mudrā. Every mudrā has many things to tell. Every mudrā has its speciality. Every mudrā is very important to practice. Every mudrā leads us towards spirituality. Every mudrā purifies the bad qualities. Every mudrā is that which awakens the dormant energy, or kuṇḍalinī śakti. Every mudrā is balancing our chakras. Every mudrā controls and keeps in balance our nervous system and circulation. Mudras have a very great effect on our health, improving the immunity in the body. Every mudrā helps our respiratory system very much, as well as the digestive system. Many mudras were created by those great saints who developed these mudras, who experienced, who made a lot of experiences with them and achieved their goal in life. Mudra itself is a part of the Kriyā. So similarly, Khecharī Mudrā is that mudrā which is known as the mudrā of immortality. Khecharī Mudrā is known as the mudrā of salvation. And Khecharī Mudrā is the door to let the individual consciousness into the cosmic consciousness. It needs practice. It needs many, many years of practice. Besides the Khecharī Mudrā, there is one mudrā which is called Unmunī Mudrā. If we can do that Mudrā with Khecarī Mudrā, it helps the practitioners to withdraw from the external world and to withdraw from the external noises or sounds. Without practicing mudrās, Kriyā Yoga cannot be successful. We spoke a lot about Kriyā, Kriyā Yoga, and different kinds of Kriyās. But if the mudrās are not practiced or performed, the kriyās are incomplete. The life within our kriyās, mudrās, or our practices is our mantra. Mantra is guarding our entire being. Mantra is that protective energy which doesn’t let any negative energy enter into your phenomenon. Therefore, mantra is very important, and without that mantra, you cannot practice Kriyā Yoga, nor can you succeed in the practice of the Khecarī Mudrā. Now, for the last four days, we have been speaking about Khecarī Mudrā, and all of us have such motivation, such interest, that we would like to practice. It is true that through the Khecarī Mudrā, our life can be prolonged. It is true that after the perfection of the Khecarī Mudrā, you can avoid the speed of becoming old. Some say that you become young again. Yes, I also say that you become young. Now, it has two meanings. The first is that the body becomes free from illnesses. The entire physical system is regenerated, and therefore our body looks like a young one. Second, the young means here in your memory. It improves concentration and the capacity to receive more and more wisdom. At the present, our memory, where is the memory stored, is like a teacup. When the cup is full with tea or water and you try to pour more tea inside, it will just flow over. Similarly, the capacity of our memory from birth until today is overloaded. So whatever we hear, whatever we learn, very little remains with us, and the rest we forget. Especially in this modern way of life and with this modern technology, we have become dependent on technology. It means we lost our memory. So many of you are sitting in the hall, ask yourself, do you know by heart 100 telephone numbers? Okay, let’s say 50 telephone numbers. Okay, let’s come to 25 telephone numbers if you know by heart. So, you can judge for yourself what the condition of your memory is. It is said that through the Khecharī Mudrā and the practice of Kriyā Yoga, our memory should get better than ever, because these practices empty the unnecessary thoughts from our brain, or intellect, or whatever you call it. When there is no space for more than memories, but you have to work, and we can only work if we have good concentration. We can work if we are alert or aware enough, we can work if our intellect is properly working, and we can work if our knowledge, what we learn, allows us to be ready to be used. If not, then day by day, what we are doing and what we experience in this world becomes stress for us. So during the meditation, especially after practicing the mudrās and Kriyā Yoga, the stress is released because our citta-vṛtti is reduced. Why is the restlessness there? Because whatever you got, you cannot digest, and therefore there is restlessness. We can meditate, everyone can meditate, but we need love for it, interest for it. Some people have interest only in external things, and some have interest to know the aim of life, the purpose of life, to live happily, and to achieve the goal which we have in this life. Now, we would all like to practice Khecarī Mudrā, and we spoke yesterday, or I spoke yesterday and the day before yesterday, about a technique to roll the tongue and bring the tongue deep behind what you call the tonsils, a little before where the breath goes in, that point. So that your breath can flow freely and you can benefit from the nectar which is produced from Khecharī Mudrā. Yes, it sounds very good, and we would like to do it, but it is not so easy. It needs time and practice. Also, you should have perfect control over the tongue. That any time you can roll your tongue in, and any time you can bring your tongue back again. If not, then that can cause an unpleasant situation. Means then permanently you have to renounce this body. Permanent, and we don’t want to renounce this body so early. We were thinking through the Khecharī Mudrā, we will become young. But now, without becoming young, you finish life. Why? Because of doing wrong techniques. Yes, one thing is sure: in the next life, you will be young. That is true in the next life. But that we don’t want again, because in the next life we will not have this knowledge. Again, we have to learn from the beginning. Therefore, check yourself, take time, and practice. As I used to say often, our diet, what we eat, from where our food is coming, and where our food is stored, in which environment, that’s very important. You know, certain flowers cannot resist being together. Certain fruits, if you keep them together in a basket, they cannot resist; they will spoil quickly. Or one of the other fruits, another kind of fruit will be spoiled. Similarly, when we think, "I am vegetarian and eat organic food, organic vegetables, and so on," and suppose you have a refrigerator, and you put your vegetables or your fresh fruit and vegetables in. But at the same time, there is some meat stored inside. Now, you know that fruits and vegetables have more life than meat. Meat is a date when the animal dies. And vegetables are living. Now there is a prāṇa which is exchanging that infects your vegetables and fruits. Puri Jī Prakāś, Puri Jī Prakāś... Puri Jī, so this is how a human is leading a life full of conflict. We are struggling, but we can’t come to that solution because we depend, and we should have thought before about what we should do or what we should not do. Similarly, also the mantras, you cannot mix the different mantras. Keep it to one mantra, that guru mantra which you received. But there are some other mantras which should also be practiced or chanted. Like eating mantra, sleeping mantra, waking up mantra, peace mantra, and so on. Many ceremonial mantras, but the major part of your mantras is your own mantra. That will lead you to where you want to go. Similarly, the practices of the āsanas, or yoga, should be systematic. First, you should practice relaxation. After that, practice the body-warming dynamic movements. After that, you do a little stretching, postures, or exercises. Then you come to the postures, āsanas. This is the sequence, one after the other, of how we should do it. It’s not that you should do five āsanas. No, you may do only one, but do it systematically, properly. Also, when you practice the āsanas, you should know the counter pose. It’s very natural. When you inhale, then automatically you will exhale. So this is a counter. You cannot say, "I will only inhale, inhale... I will not exhale." Even if you don’t want to, you will do it. After this, it is advised that from time to time you relax. As you are more relaxed, the exercises will have more effect on your body. Then comes prāṇāyāma. Prāṇāyāms, sometimes we see on television, or in books, or we hear in lectures, how good Bhastrikā is, how good Kapālabhāti is, or how good Kumbhaka is, or Bāhya Kumbhaka, Antara Kumbhaka, it can harm. Therefore, you have to practice gradually, beginning with very gentle Nāḍī Śodhana Prāṇāyāma, Sūrya Bhedana, Chandra Bhedana. Some say, some say Nāḍī Śodhana, very simple, simple but it is powerful, very gentle but very effective, slowly. And that’s why in this book, "Yoga in Daily Life," is so systematic. This is your guidebook. This book is your teacher. If you do exactly what is written, now if you did not practice accordingly, then you have no realization about this book. And when you did not realize this book, then what happens? Some yoga teachers teach according to this book, but from time to time, they mix something new inside. What does that mean? That means that teacher, he or she, is still in the darkness. It has no knowledge about this system. If you have knowledge, you will not act differently. And when you mix the things that can disturb the progress of your practitioners, many of your practitioners don’t like one week’s same exercise. Yes, I can also say I wouldn’t like it, also. But my teacher, meaning you, the teacher of some other students, is not capable. There is a lack of knowledge, a lack of experience, and a lack of certainty, which you may call faith or trust. If there is knowledge about it, then you know this is not good, this is good. Either this or that. Similarly, prāṇāyāma, the breath technique, is the work of many, many years. And you would like to begin to practice Bhastrikā in three days and Kapālabhāti in two days. Poor body, poor body systems are suffering. In the same way, if you mix some other kriyās, then your consciousness is suffering, and your intellect is suffering. After the prāṇāyāma practices, you should do the meditation. Meditation will be successful if you do prāṇāyāms first, because prāṇāyāma calms down our nervous system. Prāṇāyāma balances our body and mind. Prāṇāyāma helps your senses to withdraw and become one with thyself, but systematically, prāṇāyāma. Don’t think that you must do very strong prāṇāyāma or techniques which are very advanced to get self-realization. I doubt, I doubt that you will get self-realization if you do everything at once and in hari-hari. After meditation, then come the kriyās, and the kriyās are connected with two bandhas and mudras. Then the kriyā yoga begins. So, āsana, prāṇāyāma, dhāraṇā means concentration, dhyāna meditation, the mudrās, bandhas, and then come the kriyās. And then, finally, the deep meditation. Yes, those yogīs would like to achieve that divine consciousness and have to dedicate the time, minimum four hours a day, my God. What time should we take? Early to bed and early to rise. That will make you very wise. The best time, the most peaceful time, is if you can get up early and do your practices in the morning. Something which remains, you can do in the evening. So, we will do now our Akhā Khecharī Mudrā and at the same time the Jālandhara Bandha and Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma. Now, this is three techniques at once. Jālandhara Bandha, Navidhī Bandha, and in weekend I explained to you in very detail and in a very simple way what is the Bandha and how the Bandha influences our body systems, how it awakens the energies and chakras or energy centers. At the same time, we will try. It’s not that you are perfect now, but you will try to roll your tongue and bring it as deep as you can towards the palate. And with this Ujjāyī Prāṇāyām. Ujjāyī Prāṇāyām is more prāṇāyām sound concentrated in the vocal cords, and we will see how many minutes you can keep your tongue. You can’t keep it long, but of course, if you feel discomfort, you relax your tongue. For Jālandhara Bandha, to do it perfectly in sitting, your knees should be touching the ground. Or, you can keep your body straight and stretch your elbows. And elbows stretched means it supports your shoulders, shoulders support your muscles, Siddha Purījī, Siddha Purījī,... Siddha. Be aware of all three techniques: that you have this Jālandhara Bandha, be aware that you have the Khecarī Mudrā, and be aware that you are doing Ujjāyī Prāṇāyām. Your breath should flow very gently, with equal speed, and mentally, with or without a mālā, repeat your Guru Mantra. Take your time, keep your elbows stretched completely, elbows should not be bent, shoulders up, your chin is close towards the chest or the collar bones. Be aware of all the four practices: Mantra, Jālandhara Bandha, Khecarī Mudrā, and Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma. Keep your elbows stretched, shoulders slightly raised up. Slightly, you are bending forward so that you are pressing your knees down with your hands. Concentrate on your breath sound. Breath should not go without your knowing. Find out if the sound of the breath is balanced or breaking between. Keep your eyes closed and have a normal breath. Raise your head up. Bring your head to a normal position. Relax your elbows and shoulders, and concentrate on the breath. Normal breath. Find out how you felt during this kriyā, what kind of difficulties you were facing. It is only you who can remove that difficulty with the breath, mostly, because your breath was not flowing freely, as the posture was not correct. To concentrate in your inner space, try to relax the whole body and breath rhythm, and experience the deep relaxation or calmness. What kind of difficulties are you facing now? You are fighting with your thoughts. It is you who can free your thoughts and say to yourself, "I would like to be one with myself in my cidākāśa." Be aware of the three kriyās: Ujjāyī, Khecharī Mudrā, Jālandhara Bandha, and the mantra is still going on. Observe your restlessness, how restless you are physically and mentally. Your restlessness is reflected in your eyelids. I can also see your eyebrow center. Every thought, every restlessness influences the position of your eyelids. Now again, go to the Kriyā, Jālandhara Bandha, Khecarī Mudrā, Ujjāyī Prāṇāyām, and Mantra. Keep your elbows stretched and your shoulders slightly raised. It makes it easier to keep your Jālandhara Bandha and will make it easier for you to breathe in the Ujjāyī. Very consciously do your technique. Be aware of all these four techniques that you are doing. Khecarī Mudrā, Jālandhara Bandha, Ujjāyī Prāṇāyāma, and Mantra. Again, come to the normal position of your head. Relax your tongue, take a normal breath, and find out which kind of difficulties you are facing this time. And how can you remove it? For today, that is enough. Chant three times all together, Om. Nāham Kartā. Slowly rub your palms together and place the hands on the face. Warm the face muscles and eyelids. Slightly, gently massage the eyelids and open your eyes. Hari Om.